Root position
G# – B# – D# – F##The root G# is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
4 notes · 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
G# Major Seventh Piano Chord (G#maj7)
G#maj7 is built from G#, B#, D# and F## — the formula 1 · 3 · 5 · 7, or 4, 7 and 11 semitones above G#. The shape uses 2 white and 2 black keys, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
G# Major seventh
Notes
G# · C · D# · GFormula
1 · 3 · 5 · 7Right hand
1 · 2 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds G#maj7. Press P or the Play chord button to hear G#, B#, D#, F## sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in G#maj7
A major seventh chord places the seventh degree of the major scale on top of a major triad, one semitone below the octave. That narrow interval rubs gently against the root and produces the soft, hazy quality heard throughout jazz, soul and slow ballads. It is the natural seventh chord on the first and fourth degrees of a major scale.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G#black key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| B#white key | Major third | 3 | 4 | 2 · index finger |
| D#black key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 3 · middle finger |
| F##white key | Major seventh | 7 | 11 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play G#maj7 on piano
- Find G#: it is the middle black key in a group of three.
- Build upwards from G# using 4, 7 and 11 semitones to reach B#, D# and F##.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on G#, finger 2 on B#, finger 3 on D# and finger 5 on F##. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black keys sit comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how G#maj7 settles.
- Try first inversion as well: B# – D# – F## – G#. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
G#maj7 in 4 positions
An inversion keeps the same 4 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
B# – D# – F## – G#B# is the lowest note, so the major third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
D# – F## – G# – B#D# is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Third inversion
F## – G# – B# – D#F## is the lowest note, so the major seventh sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain G#maj7
In E♭ major the chord functions as IVmaj7. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 4 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- E♭ majorIVmaj7
- A♭ majorImaj7
- C minorVImaj7
- F minorIIImaj7
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
G#maj7 against G#7
G#maj7 and G#7 share G#, B# and D#. Moving the minor seventh F# up 1 semitone to the major seventh F## turns G#7 into G#maj7.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes G#, B#, D# still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open G#7 →Good questions
G#maj7 questions
What notes are in the G#maj7 chord?
G#maj7 contains G#, B#, D# and F##. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 3 · 5 · 7, or 4, 7 and 11 semitones above G#.
What is the right-hand fingering for G#maj7?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on G#, 2 (index finger) on B#, 3 (middle finger) on D# and 5 (little finger) on F##. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is G#maj7 different from G#7?
G#maj7 and G#7 share G#, B# and D#. Moving the minor seventh F# up 1 semitone to the major seventh F## turns G#7 into G#maj7.
Which keys use the G#maj7 chord?
It occurs naturally in E♭ major (IVmaj7), A♭ major (Imaj7), C minor (VImaj7) and F minor (IIImaj7). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of G#maj7?
root position is G# – B# – D# – F##, first inversion is B# – D# – F## – G#, second inversion is D# – F## – G# – B# and third inversion is F## – G# – B# – D#. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.
Is G#maj7 the same as the A♭ chord?
On an equal-tempered piano G# and A♭ are the same key, so the chords sound identical. Written music chooses between them according to the key signature: pages here are named after the sharp spelling of the root, and the chord tones are then spelled by the degree each one occupies, which is why a double sharp occasionally appears.